Idit Shner

Le Merle Noir

classical 33017

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MUSIC REVIEW BY C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

Dr. Idit Shner has released two previous recordings for the Origin Arts imprint: Tuesday's Blues (2009) and Fissures: 20th Century Music for Saxophone and Harp (2010). The multi- reedist returns with her second Origin Classic release addressing the music of a host of 20th Century composers, including Philip Glass and Olivier Messiaen. She plays alto and soprano saxophones, producing from each a studied, vibratoless tone that, in the case of the soprano horn, sounds like a clarinet (no mean feat). Accompanied by pianist Svetlana Kotova, Shner navigates this often craggy and angular musical terrain with care and precision. The Glass pieces are of particular interest possessing a more complex rhythmic character than much of the composers other music. This release is those wanting to go off the beaten path and hear something new, accessible and smart.